Operating mechanism for rotary tools.



C. W. FULLER. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY TOOLS.

APPLICATlON HLED JULY29, 1916.

l ,229, 603-, Patented June 12, 1917.

CLARENCE W. FULLER, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY TOOLS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 12 15%},

Application filed July 29, 1916. Serial No. 111,973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE WV. FULLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanismfor Rotary Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention is a device designed more particularly for cleaningteeth, although capable of other uses, wherein a brushing element may berotated in a plurality of directions.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a removable brushing elementwhich is capable of rotation in a plurality of directions effected bymeans controlled at will.

Broadly stated, the invention comprises a rotatable member, such asashaft, having a plurality of clutch devices which alternately operate torotate the shaft in opposite directions, and means carried by the shaftsuch as a tool end, to engage a suitable tool, such as a brushing orscrubbing element which may be removably mounted on the tool end.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detail description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown,but it is to be understood that the construction therein set forth isfor the purposes of illustration only, and not as defining the limits ofthe invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the device with the tool orbrush element removed.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of one clutch member showing a pivotal clutchactuating device.

Fig. 8 is a detail view ofanother clutch member disclosing a slidableclutch actuating device.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, of a brushing elementmounted upon a ferrule which is adapted to be positioned on the tool endof the device.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the tool end dis closing a retaining slot.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the ferrule.

In the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, the shaft isrotated by manually operated means. It is rotated in reverse directionsby novel clutch members which are successively operated by the meanswhich rotate the shaft.

In the construction shown, a frame isemployed having the sides 1, 2 andends 3, el formed in a single piece. The shaft 5 is journaled in theends 3, 4, respectively. This shaft is designed to carry a tool end ofany suitable form, shown in the drawings as an elongated member which ispreferably of soft metal or any other material, having a large end 6serving as an abutment and an end 7 of lesser diameter than the end 6.The end 7 may be provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves 8which may be of any desired depth and preferably slightly deeper at theend 7 to facilitate the application of a tool to the end. The groovesmay terminate in an abutment.

Cooperating with the tool end of the shaft a ferrule 10 which may be ofany suitable material, and is preferably of a diameter sufiicientlygreat to fit over the-end 7 of the tool end, and to be moved along thereduced portion thereof until an end of the ferrule abuts against thethicker portion 6. This ferrule is shown provided with a plurality ofretaining devices formed by slitting the material as at 11 anddepressing the cut material inwardly. The slits are preferablyoppositely positioned, and in the structure disclosed, four of them areshown in the ferrule 10, two upon each side thereof.

The ferrule 10 is designed to accommodate the operating tool, which inthe instance shown, is a brushing element indicated at 12, the bristlesof which are mounted upon a stem which terminates in bifurcated ends 13.These ends 13 may be in the form of wires positioned parallel to eachother, and de signed to be passed between the depressed portion 14 ofthe ferrule 10 and the main 'body of the ferrule, whereby when the toolends 13 of the bifurcated member are passed through the ferrule to beengaged by the depressed portions 14 on opposite sides of the ferrule, abrush 12 will be positively rotated with the ferrule when applied uponthe spindle, and at the same time, may be quickly applied to the ferruleor removed therefrom, when the ferrule has been dis mounted from thetool end 7.

In applying the ferrule 10 to the tool end 7 the ends 13 are designed tobe positioned to register with the grooves 8 and as the ferrule ispressed toward the enlarged end 6, the outer ends of the bifurcated members 13 will be directed toward the encls 9 of the grooves 8, andthereby cause the ends 15 to be slightly flexed outwardly andheldbetween the material of the member 6 and the material of theferrule'10-to thereby pre'- vent the accidental disengagement of. the.

15 Wrise secured to the spindle 5 for-rotating the spindle whenthemember 1:7 hasbeen actuated by any suitable. means. Positioned@aadjacent the member 17 is a clutch actuating member indicatediat 19,which is pivotally 20 mounted at 20 to aside 1 of the frame.

her 16 when the lolutch actuating device is.

This clutch actuatingmember is-shown provided with a pin 21' whichisadapted to engage an end 22-!of the clutch member 17 my move saidmember 17 toward the memmoved upon its pivot-20to bringthepin 21 intoengagementwith. thewface 22 of: the, clutch member. Theclutch member 171s provided with a drum 23 upon which may be wound a suitable cableindicated at'2at,

which cable is shown passingthrough an aperture 2 5 of the actuatingmember and;-

ogeattending through anapertureQG in an end v 150f the frame,afterzwhich, the e-able 2% v is secured to airing 27 or other 'ClBVlCBfor cable. 1 The 1 conveniently operating" 2 Y the clutch member 17. isrotated in one direction aaby drawing uponithe cable 24, which-causesthe clutch actuating member. 19 =to: move 4o doavnwardly uponits: pivot20 until the pin I by drawing upon the cable: Qhmvill .causei thespindle 5 to rotate in one direction. The

21; engages the end 22fof;thei'clutch member 17 to move the clutchmember-17 into ennggagement with the clutchmiember: 16; thereafteiythefurther movement of the drum23 arrangement is such. that-rupon releaseof etthe cable the clutch members will auto-- matically becomedisengaged. A coil. spring 28 ma be em 'lovedtorotate the drum in anopposite direction; tou'ewind the cable upon the drum 23,iafterndisengagement' of a the clutch members, it being iUHClGIStOOClthat the spring 28 !is connectedavith theend I 5 22. of the clutchmember 17 in. anyrsuitable manner, and also anchored tovithe memberseither 1on2 frame 5 At the opposite end of theifaane there'is shownanother clutohahaving members 29 30 anid 30, saidclutchnbeing:provided-to operate 'the spindleureversely to --the clutchformed by 1nembers-16-and 17; Clutch'memube? 29 is secured :directlytothe-spindle for rotation therewith,awhile clutch mem be; 30 is looselymounted upon the spindle. 2

These members are provided with teeth 31 whereby they may be engaged forcooperative movement in one direct-ion,- as has been through a slideblock 3% having a pin said slide blockbeing mounted upon a side 2 of theframe." The cable 33 thereafter extends through the end -fl= of'theframe and terminates ina ring 36, or;- other suitable device.Cooperating with the drum-clutch member 30 is a spring 37 which 'isconnected to said drum clutch anemberand to the frame for rotating. thedrum clutch member in a direction opposite-to that in which it isrotated by drawingupon the cable by means of the ring 36. In -thisclutch, when the ring 36 is :drawn away from 5 the frame end 4, thecable will draw upon the slide block 34c by reason of the fact that itis passed through aperture in said block and thereafter extendslongitudinally of the blockI-toward said-ring, such construction causingthe block to be moved to wardithe end4 of the frame This movement of theblockcauses the pin 35 to engage a face 38 of the drum clutch member tomove said member toward the fixed 95 clutch member 29 until the teeth 31ofsaid members cooperate to move-the clutch and Y the spindleinthedirection'actuated: by the pullzupon the: cable 33. When thepull isreleased from: the cable 83, the clutch mem- K bers are. automaticallydisengaged and the spring 37 operates to move the clutch drum in anoppositedireotionw'ancl to return the cable uponthedrum. 1 1 T KInoperation, the brush element 12 may be appli-edwtothe tool end of thespindle; and inserted :into \the mouth so that the-brushing element-willengage the teeth -to brush them longitudinally of each tooth, instead oftransversely of the teethyas is the usual method of brushing the teetlrby :the: layman when using the ordinary-bristle end brush. By having theplurality of pull devices, the

'brushingelement maybe rotatedin one direction for the teeth of onegroup; or in the opposite direction for the teeth of another mouth.:This is effected by drawing first upon ring 27 to move the cable ofclutch members 16 and l7,=-which will rotate the brush in onedirection;and thereafter drawing upon the ring 36 to operate the clutch members'2930 to rotate the brush 12 in the opposite direction. r

It is obvious that various'changes in the'130 form and proportion ofparts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention,such, for example, as the clutch actuating devices, or the means to movethe spindle, other than that shown, as the rings 27 and 3E), and theright is reserved to make such changes and alterations as fairly fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, a frame, a spindle journaledtherein, a clutch member secured to the spindle, a cooperating drumclutch member loosely mounted on the spindle, a clutch actuating devicepivotally mounted on the frame, and having a plurality of arms, one ofwhich arms is adapted to engage the drum clutch member and move the sameinto engagement with the spindle clutch member, a flexible elementadapted to be Wound on the drum and to engage an arm of the clutchactuating de' vice whereby upon movement of the flexible element tounwind it from the drum, the clutch actuating device will be operated toengage the clutch members and rotate the spindle in one direction, andmeans to rotate the drum clutch member in the opposite direction torewind the flexible element on the drum.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame, a spindle journaledtherein, a clutch member secured to the spindle, a cooperating drumclutch member loosely mounted on the spindle, a clutch actuating devicecomprising a slidable plate having means to engage a drum clutchmemberand move the same into operative engagement with the spindleclutch member, a flexible element adapted to be wound on the drum and toengage a portion of the slidable plate whereby upon movement of theflexible element in one direction, said clutch actuating device will beoperated to move the clutch members into engagement to rotate thespindle in one direction, and means to rotate the drum clutch member inthe opposite direction to rewind the flexible element thereon.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame, a spindle journaledtherein, a plurality of clutch members secured to the spindle, each ofsaid clutch members having associated therewith a loosely mounted drumclutch member adapted to rotate the spindle in opposite directions, anda clutch actuating device adapted to engage each of the drum clutchmembers to move them into engagement with the spindle clutch members,and a flexible element adapted to be wound on each of the drum clutchmembers to have engagement with its respective clutch actuating device,whereby upon the movement of a flexible element in one direction it willserve to rotate its drum and actuate its respective clutch actuatingdevice to rotate the spindle in the direction of movement of the drum,and means connected with the drum clutch members to rotate them in adirection opposite to that in which they are moved by the flexibleelement.

l. In a device of the class described, a frame, a spindle journaledthereon, a clutch member secured to the spindle, a cooperating drumclutch member loosely mounted 011 the spindle, a spring coiled aroundthe spindle and connected with the drum and frame to maintain the drumclutch member separated from the fixed clutch member and to rotate thedrum clutch member in one direction, a flexible element adapted to bewound upon the drum and to have engagement with a clutch actuateddevice, whereby upon drawing upon the flexible element, the drum clutchmember engages the fixed clutch member and rotates the drum against theaction of the spring and thereby rotates the spindle in one directionand upon the release of the flexible element the clutch members will beautomatically disengaged to prevent rotation of the spindle in anopposite direction.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame having a spindlejournaled therein, a clutch member secured to the spindle, a cooperatingdrum clutch member loosely mounted on the spindle and adapted to bereciprocated thereon toward a fixed clutch member, a clutch actuatingdevice mounted on the frame and comprising a slidable plate having anarm to engage the movable drum clutch member for moving the same intooperative engagement with the spindle clutch member, and a flexibleelement extending through the frame and between a portion of theslidable plate and the frame and thereafter wound on the drum, wherebyupon drawing upon said flexible element in one direction, said clutchactuating device will operate to move the clutch members into engagementto rotate the spindle in one direction, and means carried by the spindleto rotate the drum clutch member in the opposite direction to rewind theflexible element thereon.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

CLARENCE W. FULLER.

I/Vitnesses:

GERALD NoLAN, TRACY C. MADDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

